The party, an event auctioned off in June during the Parkinson Support Center of Kentuckiana’s Denim & Diamonds Gala Celebration, featured drinks and food provided by Casey Broussard, executive chef with Wiltshire Panty, and Levon Wallace, executive chef with Proof on Main.

The Friends of the Waterfront’s annual Silver Anchor Awards ceremony was held Sept. 20 aboard the Belle of Louisville to honor Governor Steve Beshear for his support of the completion of the Big Four Bridge. Once the project is finished, the Big Four Bridge will provide a pedestrian and bicycle path to link Louisville and Jeffersonville, Ind.

The awards reception featured music by Hog Operation, hors d’oeuvres by Mirabelle Gourmet Catering, cocktails and a silent auction. Proceeds from the evening benefited Friends of the Waterfront programs.

The second annual Hermitage Classic in Goshen, Ky., brought three days of action-packed combined driving to historic Hermitage Farm on Sept. 21-23.

Aside from the thrilling cones, driven dressage and cross-country marathon competitions, horse fans and guests enjoyed a guided course walk for Saturday’s marathon race, a party hosted by the Original Makers Club on Friday evening, an Original Makers Club + Garden & Gun VIP Lounge, Terrier and Dachshund races and The Voice-Tribune champagne brunch following the awards ceremony on Sunday.

Proceeds from the weekend benefited Oldham Ahead, a non-profit community group committed to preserving farmland in Oldham County.

A lively crowd filled the 700 block of East Market Street on Sept. 22 for the fourth annual NuLu Fest, billed for 2012 as the after-party for IdeaFestival.

The free event featured six musical acts including Leigh Ann Yost, Russian guitarist Misha Feigin and the Jake Parker Band, voted online by the public as the favorite local group to perform at NuLu Fest. Nerves Junior headlined the evening.

NuLu Fest also partnered with the Louisville Beer Store, which offered 16 varieties of brew for attendees to enjoy. Guests also shopped at a variety of booths featuring art, jewelry, information and food from local area businesses and restaurants. The family-friendly event provided a special kids’ section, as well, complete with face painting, duck ponds and a bubble truck.

Bellewood’s Grow to Go Garden program gives young people on the Louisville campus an opportunity to gain life skills through the hands-on experience of growing vegetables and flowers as they “grow to go” into the real world as independent adults. Bellewood’s Grow To Go Garden is led by a group of local volunteers working with youth living at Bellewood’s residential facility in Anchorage.

The September installment of The Voice-Tribune’s Third Thursday After-Work Party celebrated National Bourbon Heritage Month at St. Charles Exchange with top-shelf Bourbon brands from Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.

Heaven Hill provided unlimited samples of Bourbon favorites such as Evan Williams Single Barrel, Elijah Craig small batch, Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey and the newest brand in their portfolio, Larceny 1870.

Guests began the evening on the upper level of the new posh establishment and enjoyed the delicious Bourbon samplings, several hand-crafted cocktails made with the featured Bourbons and a delicious buffet from the St. Charles kitchen featuring pulled pork sandwiches, short ribs, assorted canapes, deviled eggs and banana bread pudding.

As the evening progressed, guests made their way to the lower level courtyard where there were more signature cocktails, some great give-aways and dancing with Third Thursday official deejay, DJ Jaybird.

The University of Louisville hosted the 24th annual Take Back the Night on Sept. 25. Take Back the Night events originated in Germany in 1973 in response to a series of sexual assaults, rapes and murders. Since that time Take Back the Night events have expanded to include all issues of violence against women some of which are domestic & intimate partner abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, trafficking and pornography.

Sponsors included UofL’s Office for Diversity and International Affairs, Student Activities Board, Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality, Commission on the Status of Women, Office of LGBT Services, Club Programming Committee, Student Athlete Advisory Council, Women’s Law Caucus, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, Peace Justice and Conflict Transformation Committee, and the PEACC Program. Community sponsors included Louisville Metro’s Office for Women, MensWork, Clothesline Project, Scholar House and Center for Women and Families.

The Speed Art Museum hosted 100/100 on Sept. 22 as part of the “Lights Off/Future On” weekend celebration honoring the beginning of the Speed’s unprecedented $50 million expansion project.

100/100 included cocktails, music by DJ Jaleel Bunton from the band TV on the Radio, edibles by Wiltshire Pantry, artwork by Louisville artist Braylyn Stewart and a projection of films by Ryan Daly showing in the Sculpture Court. 100/100 was presented with support from Wells Fargo Advisors and media sponsorship provided by The Voice-Tribune.

The Kentucky Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America hosted the first inaugural Cupcakes and Cocktails event at Eclipse Bank on Sept. 22 to raise awareness and funds to support research for Crohn’s and colitis.

The fete included a signature cocktail sponsored by Brown-Forman and four local bakeries competing for Best Presentation and Best Tasting cupcakes. Kelly K with 99.7 WDJX emceed the event and served as a celebrity judge in the cupcake contest. James Brown from Brown Bakery in Lexington; Angie Fenton, managing editor of The Voice-Tribune; and Steve Stratton, CEO of Eclipse Bank, also served as judges.

In addition to the contest, guests bid on an exclusive silent auction, enjoyed live music and savored cupcakes and light hors d’oeuvres.

Taste of Innovation, the signature food, entertainment and beverage event of IdeaFestival, was held Sept. 20 inside Millionaire’s Row 4 at Churchill Downs.

Presented by Brown-Forman, Churchill Downs, Xstreme Media and York Management, the event celebrated the Farm to Table movement, which promotes farmers and locally-produced food. Attendees enjoyed musical entertainment throughout the evening, along with two hours of unlimited food and spirits provided by more than 30 of the region’s chefs, restaurants, brewers, baristas, distillers and mixologists.